Margaret (Mary) Feilding (1613–1638) was a Scottish noblewoman, wife of
Duke James Hamilton, and courtier of
Queen Consort Henrietta Maria.
Biography
Margaret was born around 1613 to
William Feilding,
Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh (pronounced 'Denby') is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, William Feilding, Viscount Feilding, a courtier, admiral, and brother-in-law of the powerful George Vill ...
, and
Susan Villiers, sister of the
Duke of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham, referring to the market town of Buckingham, England, is an extinct title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There were creations of double dukedoms of Bucki ...
George Villiers. In 1620, she was married to the 14-year-old James Hamilton, future
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Duke of Rothesay, Dukedom of Rothesay held by the sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the pr ...
. Following the marriage, she was briefly
styled as the Countess of Arran, which was changed to Marchioness of Hamilton in 1625. Margaret was a courtier of Queen Consort Henrietta Maria, holding the office of
Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would gi ...
which granted her close contact with both the queen and king. She had three sons, all of whom who died young, and three daughters. One died young, but
Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...
and Susanna, Countess of Cassillis, survived their mother.
Margaret died at the Wallingford House in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on 10 May 1638. She was buried at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
on 12 May.
Legacy
The contemporary Scottish historian Gilbert Burnet described Margaret as "a lady of great and singular worth" in his book ''Lives of the Hamiltons''.
Edmund Waller
Edmund Waller, 3 March 1606 to 21 October 1687, was a poet and politician from Buckinghamshire. He sat as MP for various constituencies between 1624 and 1687, and was one of the longest serving members of the English House of Commons. Althoug ...
wrote the poem ''Thyrsis, Galatea'' in praise of Margaret.
References
{{Reflist
External links
* Text of
Thyrsis, Galatea'
17th-century Scottish peers
1613 births
1638 deaths